Going the full monty

Published: Friday June 4, 2010 MYT 12:00:00 AM 

Updated: Monday June 17, 2013 MYT 1:27:50 AM

WHY NOT? BY WONG SAI WAN

The Government’s piece-by-piece way of unveiling its grand plans to improve everyone’s lot may just not get the desired effect, or may even backfire

DATUK Seri Idris Jala’s favourite question to anyone listening to the story he has to tell about the Government’s grand scheme of things is whether one would rather it be revealed slowly or all at once.

“Would you rather see a striptease where we show you one by one, or would you rather see everything at once?” Idris would ask his audience when talking about plans for the removal of subsidy on fuel.

Most times his audience would tell him that they would prefer to have the information all at one go.

Idris would comply and give the people the full monty for the petrol price plan; and not surprisingly, there seems to be not much criticism of his proposal for fuel prices to rise by 10 sen every six months over the next three years.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for other announcements related to the Government’s programme, which had always been “striptease” shows.

The revelations had been very slow in coming, not very exciting and hardly titillating.

From his stints in Shell and MAS, Idris found that people liked to digest the information given, and only then “will we get the buy-in”.

However, unlike his previous work places, where his audiences were employees, the buy-in from his cut-subsidy programme at the end of last month has not been as quick.

In fact, he was quite taken aback by the criticism; the level, volume and voracity of the attacks were overwhelming for this mild-mannered man who is more used to a captive audience.

The “stakeholders” (those who have an interest in what the programme is about, or are affected by it) this time round are the people of Malaysia.

Idris and Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, his fellow minister in charge of this portfolio, are finding out that 27 million people have got very diverse views, especially if they are fanned by those determined to see Idris and his team fail.

Especially since it involves money.

Politicians, both those in Oppo­sition and in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, seized on the opportunity to attack and criticise the various announcements, especially that on the need to cut subsidies.

They zeroed in on his widely reported “country will go bankrupt statement” – the Opposition saying that it just proved what they had been saying about the Barisan wasting the people’s money being true, and the backbenchers dismissing the statement as an exaggeration.

However, Idris had placed several provisos to his scenario that the country would go bankrupt because of subsidies, the first being that if the country failed to achieve more than 3% growth.

Obviously there is no danger of that, as the country looks set for double-digit growth this year.

“Unfortunately, some of the rep­orts about Pemandu’s bankruptcy projections did not state these assumptions and therefore can be taken out of context,” he noted.

Idris has since explained the provisos.

Many in his team also thought the economic crisis in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in the weeks, leading up to the Subsidy Laboratory and Open Day at the end of last month, was a perfect timing for their boss to win over the stakeholders.

They were wrong.

They were expecting to get the same kind of reception they had for the Open Day for the Government Transformation Programme.

Getting civil servants to improve their service and delivery is a cinch because everyone will benefit; asking people to pay more (by cutting subsidies) is something else.

This is where Dr Koh and Idris must take their fight to the Cabinet, to get the support of their colleagues, and it seems they did so on Wednesday.

It is not known if the pair got the support of their colleagues, but they made sure every minister got a copy of the report from the Subsidy Lab.

But this is not enough.

The two must get Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to agree to unveil the entire plan he has for the country and to do it quickly.

Najib is scheduled to launch the outline of the 10th Malaysia Plan on Thursday.

I have been fortunate to have attended enough briefings and to have talked with many of the planners.

Without wanting to spoil Najib’s fun, the following is my understanding of what he has in mind.

He can fill in the details on Thursday and insert what I have missed out.

He has always said that the basis of his plan is his clarion call-cum-vision of 1Malaysia, People First Performance Now.

A good analogy of the entire plan is to imagine the entire concept as a two-dimension stick home, what we drew when we were kids.

> The 1Malaysia, People First Per­for­­mance Now is the “roof” of the house offering protection to all Malaysians;

> The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) forms the right wall, to protect the people by reducing wastage, fighting corruption, preventing leakages and providing excellent service to the people.

To do this Najib wants to:

MEET and surpass all the National Key Result Areas to protect the people, especially the poor;

CUT subsidies – especially for power and fuel – to reduce waste and protect the Government’s coffers; and,

INTRODUCE greater anti-corruption measures by protecting whistle blowers, and through greater statutory accountability;

> The Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), which will form the left wall, is the most complex of all, as it will be the one to take the country and the people to a high-income nation with developed status, as envisaged in Vision 2020.

To build this wall, Najib is proposing:

THE New Economic Model to ensure an equitable distribution of wealth in an economy driven by the private sector;

A GOODs and Service Tax to ensure a more equitable taxation policy where levy is based on consumption.

Essential goods like rice, sugar and most other foodstuff will not be subject to GST;

A REDUCTION in income tax to ensure that the middle income group is not overburdened by a double taxation regime with the introduction of GST.

> Finally the house is held together by a solid foundation built on the 10th and 11th Malaysia plans where infrastructure projects and specific economic programmes ensure the success of the GTP and ETP.

This, in a nutshell, is Najib’s dream; and for now its my mine too.

Why not.

The only way it can be a Malaysian dream is for Najib, Idris, et al to quickly do the full monty on their plans. So sirs, please do it quickly.

Kenal pasti kuasa beli rakyat sebelum tarik subsidi

ARKIB : 01/06/2010

BERSEDIAKAH rakyat Malaysia menjalani kehidupan tanpa subsidi? Inilah persoalan pokok yang perlu dijawab seikhlasnya sebelum kerajaan mengumumkan keputusan muktamad mengenai pemansuhan atau penarikan subsidi untuk rakyat.

Sebelum jawapan tepat dapat diberikan untuk soalan ini, senario ekonomi semasa dan masa depan negara dan rakyat mesti dikaji terlebih dahulu.

Rakyat telah menikmati subsidi sejak bertahun-tahun lamanya. Nikmat subsidi ini menyebabkan rakyat negara ini amat bertuah kerana dibantu sehingga ada di antara mereka menjadi kaya raya. Golongan ini terdiri daripada 20 peratus rakyat Malaysia.

Jangan kata golongan kaya tidak pernah menikmati subsidi. Mereka juga pernah menikmati subsidi sehingga berjaya menjadi kaya raya. Bahkan ada di antara mereka masih lagi menikmati subsidi dalam perniagaan.

Subsidi yang dinikmati mereka mengurangkan kos operasi perniagaan dan seterusnya memberi keuntungan yang lebih besar berbanding tanpa menikmati subsidi kerajaan. Melalui subsidi, setiap tahun mereka menambah kekayaan. Buktinya, kajilah golongan terkaya di Malaysia yang dilaporkan pada minggu lalu.

Itu golongan yang benar-benar terkaya di Malaysia, bagaimana pula yang tidak termasuk dalam kategori tersebut tetapi kaya dan menikmati subsidi?

Bagaimana pula bagi rakyat marhaen yang terdiri daripada golongan berpendapatan sederhana dan rendah? Mereka juga menikmati subsidi, tetapi subsidi hanya digunakan untuk menjalani kehidupan seharian bukan bagi menjana keuntungan besar.

Subsidi makanan, kesihatan, pendidikan, minyak petrol adalah antara subsidi yang dinikmati mereka selama ini. Golongan ini amat memerlukan subsidi untuk menampung kehidupan mereka. Cuba bayangkan jika rakyat Malaysia yang berpendapatan di bawah RM1,500 sebulan, apa akan berlaku kepada mereka jika subsidi ditarik?

Tiga perkara yang pasti merunsingkan fikiran mereka adalah pertama, harga barang keperluan akan meningkat. Kedua, harga barangan lain yang berkait rapat dengan barangan yang mendapat subsidi juga akan meningkat.

Ketiga, harga barangan yang tidak berkait langsung dengan barangan subsidi juga berkemungkinan besar akan meningkat.

Jadi, apakah akan terjadi kepada kuasa beli mereka sebelum dan selepas subsidi ditarik? Jawapannya cukup jelas sekali iaitu kuasa beli mereka akan semakin parah. Ada yang berkata, apa susah, pantau dan kuat kuasa sahaja undang-undang. Golongan sebegini sebenarnya mengetahui penguatkuasaan undang-undang sahaja jarang sekali boleh mendisiplinkan peniaga-peniaga di Malaysia.

Buktinya, isu menyorok gula tidak pernah selesai sehingga kini. Lainlah halnya jika lesen-lesen import diberikan secara meluas kepada peniaga tanpa dimonopoli segelintir peniaga. Maka, kuranglah masalah ini.

Ini di pihak rakyat, bagaimana pula di pihak kerajaan? Dilaporkan bahawa Malaysia akan terjerumus ke kancah muflis pada 2019 jika mempunyai hutang dan subsidi yang tinggi. Ini bermakna, setahun sebelum rakyat Malaysia ternanti-nanti tarikh keramat 1 Januari 2020 sebagai negara maju, rupa-rupanya muflis yang akan berlaku ekoran terlalu banyak hutang dan subsidi.

Jelaskan kepada rakyat mengenai isu subsidi

ARKIB : 31/05/2010

Subsidi dan rakyat negara ini ibarat lagu dan irama yang tidak dapat dipisahkan. Gula, tepung, minyak, ubat sehingga baja tanaman pun diberi subsidi.

Subsidi yang ingin dimansuhkan oleh kerajaan sudah kedengaran di sana dan sini. Apa yang kita bimbangkan adalah ia bakal dipolitikkan demi kejayaan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 di pihak pembangkang.

Kenyataan dan komen daripada pihak kerajaan tentang pentingnya subsidi dimansuhkan sedikit demi sedikit bertujuan mengelakkan negara ini jatuh bankrap dalam tempoh sembilan tahun lagi.

Namun adakah kumpulan yang terkesan iaitu rakyat Malaysia yang hampir 30 juta orang kesemuanya dapat memahami kesan penghapusan subsidi yang telah dinikmati sejak zaman sebelum penjajah lagi.

Soal subsidi dimansuhkan tidak kira secara lump-sum atau ansuran bukan perkara pokok. Apa yang menjadi kegusaran rakyat negara ini adalah apakah fenomena subsidi minyak yang tidak dapat ditampung mengulang skrip malang tahun 2007-2008.

Kata orang, usah dikenang perkara yang lepas. Namun sejarah perlu mengajar kita bukan kita sahaja yang perlu mengajar orang lain mengenai sejarah setiap masa.

Subsidi bukan perkara ekonomi yang semberono kerana rakyat yang mengundi tidak mahu tahu kesusahan yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh pihak kerajaan tetapi bagaimana kerajaan mengatasi kesusahan itu. Ia adalah asas utama pembentukan konsep subsidi.

Rasanya dalam mana-mana sejarah kempen pilihan raya, tidak pernah rakyat didedahkan bahawa GST baik untuk mereka, subsidi baik untuk dimansuhkan dan MBE (Modal Baru Ekonomi) akan mementingkan agenda semua rakyat sahaja kerana perkara tersebut terlalu akademik untuk diterangkan kepada mereka.

Rakyat cuma mahu setiap sen yang mereka peroleh sebagai pekerja digunakan sepenuhnya tanpa mereka mengeluh sukar mendapat barangan kerana apabila barang seperti gula tiada subsidi, adakah terjamin gula yang sering 'hilang' di pasaran akan sentiasa ada apabila persaingan antara pengeluar mahupun pengimport lebih terbuka selepas subsidi dihapuskan.

Rakyat perlu dijelaskan secara penerangan besar-besaran sama ada secara pembentangan di Parlimen mahupun penerangan dari satu kelompok komuniti ke satu kelompok lain. Dari tengah kesibukan kota metropolitan Kuala Lumpur hingga ke pedalaman Kuala Tahan dan Ulu Tembeling mahupun di Long Pasia, Sabah dan Tebedu, Sarawak.

Subsidi yang menjadi ibarat tilam selesa rakyat kita mengulit mimpi indah perlu dijelaskan mengapa ia perlu dihapuskan kerana kenaikan harga minyak yang gagal diserap kerajaan bukan sahaja menyebabkan majoriti kerusi BN di Dewan Parlimen menyusut, malah sejak dari itu tuntutan-tuntutan politik yang tersasar daripada Perlembagaan Negara terus didendangkan oleh pihak pembangkang.

Tidakkah kita sedar bahawa dalam kita menguar-uarkan negara sebagai negara ke- 10 paling berdayasaing di dunia, rakyat didendangkan korus lagu 'tanpa subsidi ekonomi kita akan jadi lebih baik', sedangkan inilah masanya untuk jentera pembangkang membaca skrip sama tahun 2008 dengan mengatakan sebaliknya.

Jika niat kerajaan telus untuk menghapuskan subsidi demi kebaikan rakyat dan negara, maka satu kempen bersandarkan pembentangan pemansuhan subsidi di Parlimen perlu diadakan. Sesi penerangan segera dari semasa ke semasa dalam kalangan rakyat perlu dilaksanakan. Kita perlu menyedarkan rakyat, subsidi baik untuk jangka pendek kepada kerajaan dan rakyat tetapi bagi jangka panjang, rakyat dan kerajaan sendiri akan menanggung beban kewangan negara yang tinggi. Di masa itu, kita akan mendapati negara kita akan menghadapi masalah bukan sahaja dari segi ekonomi, malahan masalah sosio-politik yang meruncing.

Saluran media lama dan baru seperti TV dan Internet perlu menjadi wadah untuk menerangkan kepada orang ramai bahawa mekanisme tertentu akan digunakan untuk memastikan subsidi yang dimansuhkan itu akan memberi keuntungan kepada mereka.

Soal sama ada persaingan harga barangan yang berdaya saing mahupun infrastruktur negara semakin meningkat apabila kantung kerajaan penuh untuk memenuhi tuntutan pembangunan pesat dan rakyat semakin mudah melakukan kegiatan ekonomi, selain banyak wang boleh digunakan untuk memakmurkan negara, hanya pihak kerajaan dapat menyampaikan mesej itu kepada rakyat.

Jangan biarkan subsidi menjadi modal politik pembangkang, cukuplah dua tahun lalu minda rakyat dipesongkan hanya kerana harga minyak dan barang naik.

Jelaskan kepada rakyat, subsidi melemahkan kita dan bukan menguatkan kita secara kendiri.

ABDUL RAZAK IDRIS

Banting, Selangor Darul Ehsan

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Professors can offer views, recomendations on current national issue

ARKIB : 29/05/2010

PETALING JAYA, May 28 - Professors can use their expertise and knowledge to give their views and recommendations involving national issues said Higher Education minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Mohamed Khaled said as a component that represents the people, they (professors) can offer their ideas, views and recommendations on the New Economic Model (NEM), tax on goods and products, goods and service tax (GST) and subsidy.

"In this aspect, those with expertise and knowledge cannot remain silent.

The government certainly wants to hear their views based on their knowledge, observation and experience,” he said after opening the National Professors Council meeting here today.

Through the council that was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last month, Mohamed Khaled said all 14 clusters initiated, among them Economy and Finance, Law and Public Administration well as Industry and Innovation, would play a role according to their expertise.

He added that the direction and approach taken by the council that represents 1,426 professors at all the public higher learning institutions in the country, would depend on the council itself. - Bernama

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